Thursday, January 16, 2014

Despite the vast world of gaming on all types of platforms, there are only a handful of developers who are leading the way when it comes to the hardware and the games being released. There is a stunning amount of money being made by these companies, driving the gaming industry forward at a record pace. From the Xbox 360 to the WiiU, there is no doubt that the technology being put into game development will not slow down any time soon. At this time, the average United States home has at least one gaming platform while the majority have two gaming units in operation. Additionally, these game players are pouring a record $20.7 billion dollars into gaming on a yearly basis. The major players in this industry are releasing top games such as the Call of Duty series, Madden NFL installments, and physical games such as Just Dance 4. These games are moving units in numbers that stretch into the millions, encouraging future releases and the expansion of such noted franchises.

EA Electronic Arts has been in operation since 1979 and led 2012 in profits by earning an estimated $4 billion dollars. The company saw the most success from games such as Need for Speed and the Sims. Calling Redwood City, CA home base, this company is likely to stay on top for many years to come. The games that players can expect to see from them in the near future include Mirrors Edge 2, Battlefield 4, and Titanfall. Activision is the second-highest earner of game developers, pulling in over $4.8 billion in profits. Also situated in California, this company has sold over 40 million units with Guitar Hero alone. Other big sellers for this company have included the James Bond series, Tony Hawk games, and, of course, Call of Duty. Gamers are excited about the new and upcoming releases from this developer which will include Destiny and Call of Duty Ghosts.

Ubisoft has consistently kept its name in the game, earning more than $1.4 billion. Assassin's Creed allowed them to move over 57 million units while Just Dance sold over 42 million units. This company was founded in 1986 and has its headquarters in France. Among the new games heading the way of players are Watch Dogs and Rayman Legends. Microsoft Studios also managed to keep profits in the double-digit billions, earning $18.5 billion. The leading game franchises for this company includes Halo, Age of Empires, and Gears of War.